


sanctuary

by hollowdeer



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Nightmares, Pre-Relationship, set somewhere between episodes 61 and 72
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-08-12 03:35:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20145700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollowdeer/pseuds/hollowdeer
Summary: The two of them had always had an implicit understanding; this sort of awkwardness was so uncharacteristic for them. On out-of-town trips like this, long stretches of road would pass without a word being spoken, but it had always felt comfortable before. She had always thought the two of them never really needed words.





	sanctuary

They’ve been on the road for hours. Daisy only realizes when Basira suddenly lays a hand on her shoulder, waking her from the reverie she’d been unaware she’d been lost in. The sky is dark, the streetlights are blinding, and the radio declares the time as a little after 11. She looks over at Basira, who gives her a small smile, but there’s something else in her eyes.

“I think it’s about time we find somewhere to stop.”

It’s concern. What is there for her to be concerned about?

Daisy scoffs. “I can keep driving if you want to sleep,” she responds.

Basira chuckles and shakes her head. “I’d _like_ to sleep somewhere soft for once.” She turns to look back through the windshield at the stars barely visible in the night sky. “You probably should rest, too, you know,” she adds, almost as an afterthought.

Daisy can’t find it in herself to argue.

They find a small motel at the first stop, and as Daisy pulls into the parking lot and brings the car to a stop, she notices her hands are shaking. She glances over to meet Basira’s eyes and she still finds that look in them. It makes her queasy but she doesn’t know why.

There’s silence for a minute, just the two of them staring at each other, until Basira clears her throat and looks away. “Well, we should get in.”

Daisy frowns. She feels like she should say something to break this strange tension between them, but Basira’s already out of the car and opening the trunk before she can think of anything to say.

She doesn’t know how long she had been spacing out during the drive, silent and lost in herself, but she hopes that’s the reason for the unrest in the air. It’s better if it’s just that and nothing more.

Daisy goes in and gets them a room. The clerk at the front desk stares at her when she enters, something strange flashing quickly over their face before they wordlessly hand over a key. She’s gotten used to this by now, though.

She unlocks the door, holding it open for Basira. Neither of them says anything and it crackles between them now. Daisy wracks her brain desperately for something to make this better. The two of them had always had an implicit understanding; this sort of awkwardness was so uncharacteristic for them. On out-of-town trips like this, long stretches of road would pass without a word being spoken, but it had always felt comfortable before. She had always thought the two of them never really needed words.

As Daisy stands there struck, Basira drops the bag on the floor and rifles through it. She grabs a bundle of clothes and goes into the bathroom. The door shuts between them.

Daisy stares at the closed door separating the two of them for a moment, unblinking, before coming back to herself.

The room is drab and dark, neither of them bothering to turn on the light so that the only illumination comes from the crack beneath the bathroom door. She sighs and strips down to her underwear. She leaves her clothes scattered across the floor, hoping desperately that Basira will come out and see them and complain about the mess. Just to hear her say something.

She can see a handgun sticking out of the duffle bag, glinting in the faint light.

She climbs into one of the beds and pulls the comforter up over her head so that she can’t watch Basira disappoint her in such a small, meaningless way. It _shouldn’t_ mean anything to her, she chastises. After a minute, she can hear the door opening, the sounds of clothes rustling, the bedcovers on the other bed being pulled back. A pause. A sigh. Basira settles into the bed and turns over to face the wall.

Daisy doesn’t want to sleep, but soon enough, the silence and the dark takes her.

It isn’t either of those that she sees in her dreams.

She wakes with a start. It takes her a minute to get her bearings, and she has to look around carefully to remind herself of where she is. It’s become a nightly ritual by now.

There’s no road stretching out in front of her, going on forever; just the four walls of a darkened and depressing hotel room. The rain fades as well, but the moaning doesn’t. Instead, it’s replaced with a heavy breathing reverberating throughout the room. She turns her head, and her eyes lock with Basira’s. She was expecting Jon, for some reason, but thankfully, he’s never followed her after waking.

Basira’s disheveled, shuddering a little, her hands clutching at the sheets. It’s rare for Daisy to see her like this, and she feels guilty but she can’t look away. They study each other, and the damned silence is back again. It settles uncomfortably in the room as Basira calms down and her breathing returns to normal.

Surprisingly, Basira is the one to break it. Daisy wonders if this thing that has sprung up between them has been clawing at her from the inside, too.

“You too, huh?” Basira’s voice is rough with sleep, and it fills Daisy with a warmth that spreads through her bones out of nowhere. Her dream is gone, this room and this woman on the other side of it are all that exists now to her.

Despite her hatred of the quiet, she can’t get any words out. So, she just nods. She can’t see Basira’s face in the dark, and all of a sudden, she needs to. Before the scratching inside her comes back.

She pulls back the bedcovers, keeping her eyes on Basira as she slowly, cautiously makes her way over to her. She feels like a wild animal approaching her prey, and she pushes away that thought as soon as it bursts into her head. How wrong, to ever think she could hunt _Basira._ To ever think she could hurt her.

She doesn’t want to frighten her though, so she moves slowly. They’ve both had enough of fright for the night.

Basira watches her approach, and Daisy can see a small smile on her lips again. It’s much better than the one from earlier. She scoots over and makes room for the other woman on the bed, patting the spot next to her when Daisy hesitates. They both settle down, leaning back against the headboard side by side. Now, the silence isn’t bad at all. Daisy can barely notice it, her whole awareness centered on Basira.

Time passes by like this for a little while before Daisy takes a chance and moves closer. She leans down to rest her head on Basira’s shoulder. Basira’s skin is burning, as if she had been standing too close to a fire, but Daisy doesn’t ask. Just as slowly, Basira’s hand comes up to lay in her hair, combing gently through the knots.

They lay there like that until dawn. It’s not quiet anymore.

The sun rises, filling the room with light inch by inch.

They get up, get dressed, and go back to work.

There’s nothing stuck between them now except last night: a weight on Basira’s shoulder, a hand in Daisy’s hair, and the realization that they’re in this together, whatever this may turn out to be.


End file.
